1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a peripheral apparatus control method, and a related program.
2. Description of the Related Art
A peripheral apparatus control system enables a user of an information processing apparatus to access a peripheral apparatus via an appropriate interface, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet®, or wireless LAN. This kind of control systems can be effectively used for various users in their houses and offices. An example of the peripheral apparatus is, for example, a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine (which may be referred to as “FAX” in the following description), a scanner, a digital camera, a digital video camera, or a multifunction peripheral.
Windows® 7, i.e., an operating system provided by Microsoft Corporation, includes newly introduced functions to manage peripheral apparatuses connected to an information processing apparatus, such as a personal computer (which may be referred to as “PC” in the following description). For example, a “Devices and Printers” folder is a window that displays apparatuses connected to the PC. Device Stage™ has a link function capable of displaying a link to a unique application or service provided by each peripheral apparatus. The “Device Stage” is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
A “Devices and Printers” folder screen (see FIG. 5A) can be displayed when it is selected on a “start menu” screen of the Windows®. Further, a Device Stage™ screen (see FIG. 5B) of each peripheral apparatus can be opened when it is selected from the “Devices and Printers” folder. The Device Stage™ can provide a visual screen that enables each user to easily access a function or service relating to the apparatus.
For example, when the peripheral apparatus is a printer, a list of print standby documents and a printer property screen can be displayed on the Device Stage™ screen. In this case, users can launch a print queue and the printer property screen via the Device Stage™ screen to confirm information of the peripheral apparatus (printer).
There are various online services available via the Internet for information processing apparatuses and peripheral apparatuses, due to the growth of the Internet. For example, if the Device Stage™ screen provides a link to a support site on the Internet that is provided by a manufacturer of an apparatus, users can easily access an intended site relating to their apparatuses.
The content of the Device Stage™ is meta data, which is exclusively constituted by a resource file (e.g., XML format file, image file, and icon file). Thus, it is feasible to customize view contents and functions of the Device Stage™ of each peripheral apparatus by customizing the meta data (i.e., XML file, image file, and icon file) for each peripheral apparatus.
Operational controls of the apparatus are described in the above-described XML file. The XML file is a static text file. Therefore, the XML file cannot include any functions and variables, which are generally packaged in a general program (software). However, variables that can be used in the above-described XML file are prepared for some information supported by the OS.
For example, variables for a printer driver name (friendly name) allocated to a printer queue and variables for a WIA driver name allocated to a scanner function WIA driver using the WIA can be provided by the OS.
Further, it is feasible to control the processing based on a path of a registry and information (content) having been set in the registry, and an architecture of the processor. However, it is unfeasible to control the processing based on an attribute value of a printer class driver. In the present exemplary embodiment, the Device Stage™ may be referred to as a device management screen.
It is now assumed that an example of the peripheral apparatus is a multifunction printer (which may be referred to as “MFP” in the following description). The MFP is functionally operable as a printer, a facsimile machine, and a scanner. The MFP includes a storage device. When a user performs an operation relating to a printer class driver in an environment in which a Windows® OS preceding the Windows® 7 is installed on a PC that is connected to an MFP or a printer (i.e., a device), it is common that the user performs the operation according to the following procedure.    (1-1) The user launches the control panel on the start menu of the Windows®.    (1-2) The user launches a specific control panel for the printer class driver.    (1-3) The user selects an icon associated with a desired printer class driver, and performs the operation. For example, if one device is associated with a plurality of printer class drivers, a plurality of icons are displayed for respective printer class drivers. Therefore, the user can select an icon of a desired printer class driver and perform the operation.
For example, according to a conventional technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-85132, if a user performs an operation relating to a printer class driver via the Device Stage™ in an environment in which a device associated with a plurality of printer class drivers is connected to the PC, a user is required to perform an operation differently. The Device Stage™ cannot identify each printer class driver based on its attribute. Therefore, the user performs the operation according to the following procedure.    (2-1) The user opens the “Devices and Printers” folder.    (2-2) The user selects an operation target device in the “Devices and Printers” folder.    (2-3) The user opens a Device Stage™ screen dedicated to the device. Thus, a task for performing an operation relating to a printer class driver (i.e., a button to be pressed to execute a function) can be displayed (as described below with reference to FIG. 5C).    (2-4) The user executes the above-described task on the Device Stage™ screen.    (2-5) The user selects a target printer class driver.
For example, it is now assumed that a user performs an operation relating to an arbitrary printer class driver in a case where an MFP associated with a printer driver and a FAX driver (i.e., printer class drivers) is connected to a single PC. In this case, the user performs the operation without specifying a target printer class driver in the above-described steps (2-1) to (2-4).
Subsequently, in step (2-5), a list of printer class drivers associated with the MFP is displayed (as described below with reference to FIG. 5D). The user is requested to select a target printer class driver in the displayed list. Therefore, user operability deteriorates compared to the conventional example in which users can perform a sequential operation for each target printer class driver.
The content to be displayed on the Device Stage™ and display conditions thereof are described in a device management control file. It is feasible to allocate a task to each printer class driver referring to the driver name. However, in this case, if a different driver name is given to an updated driver, the task allocated to the driver does not function any more. Further, if numerous driver names are described in the device management control file, it will take a long time to complete the display of the Device Stage™.